Azerbaijan submits EC its offers on TRACECA

Azerbaijan has submitted the European Commission its proposals on implementation of technical projects as part of the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA).

National secretary of IGC TRACECA, Akif Mustafayev told Trend that the European Commission has recently requested the member countries through Ukraine - the country currently chairing the TRACECA to prepare proposals on new projects.

"The proposals on behalf of Azerbaijan have already been presented," he said adding that other countries will also submit their proposals.

The European Commission has done great work within the TRACECA project, he said, citing as an example the new Red Bridge, linking Azerbaijan and Georgia, which was built through funds of the European Commission.

Terminals were built, including a container terminal at the old Baku Port, he said, adding that many projects on staff training, studying the experience of European countries were implemented.

Mustafayev further said that currently, the European Commission doesn’t implement any technical projects.

Formerly, the European Commission was implementing 4-5 technical projects worth $3-4 million per year, he noted adding that however, currently, there are no technical projects and this is explained by the crisis in Europe.

On the other side, TRACECA countries have become economically stable and they are investing themselves and attracting investments worth billions of dollars, added Mustafayev.

the European Commission says that TRACECA is a strategic project for it.

TRACECA is an international cooperation program in the sphere of transport among the EU and partnercountries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. The organization has a permanent secretariat in Baku.

TRACECA member-states are Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Iran.

Being an international cooperation program in the sphere of transport among the EU and partner-countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia, TRACECA is deemed to rank among the priorities of the European Union. The EU support is mostly focused on such areas as improving transport safety and security and promote the changes in legislation needed to improve trade in the region.